SHILLONG, Feb 25: Stepping out of his home in Assam’s South Salmara-Mankachar district with the sole agenda of alleviating the monetary burden on his family, a battered and bruised Aminul Islam is returning home with the body of his 20-year-old friend with an empty pocket and a heart filled with bitter memories of the blood-curdling ordeal he was subjected to along with his seven friends, six of whom are lucky to be alive.
“We were attacked in our sleep. Suddenly, there was a loud noise; the door broke open and around 25-27 men came in and without uttering a single word started assaulting us with sticks and knives,” said Aminul Islam, visibly shaken and inconsolably weeping at his friend’s death.
Narrating his ordeal, Islam recalled that his friend, Raju Mondal, was hit on the back of his head and he immediately fell down unconscious. “At the first opportunity I made a call to the father of the St. Xavier’s Girls’ hostel who arrived at the spot around 11.30 pm and took us to a nearby hospital,” Islam added.
Doctors at the hospital advised them to shift Mondal to Shillong Civil Hospital and they immediately rushed to Shillong.
“As soon as we reached here at around 4 am, Mondal was admitted and some tests were conducted but unfortunately he passed away at around 8 or 8:30 am,” a sobbing Islam said.
He swore never to return to Meghalaya.
